All American Girl
by TheJavaGirls
Summary: **Rewrite on chapter one, update with second chapter** Xander feels he's been sent on a babysitting mission. But soon finds out that it's the small things that sometime matter the most.
1. One

She was insane. No worse than that. Somehow during her last twenty-two years she must have suffered from severe head trauma. It was the only way to explain the mental retardation she'd been inflicted with. What in the hell was she thinking? She was smarter than this. Her upbringing alone instilled enough common sense to see through his act. 

  
  


Which chapped her hide severely. One because had been made a fool of. But mostly it proved her father right. Two things Reggie hated most in life. Something Nikolas Mazzetelli had been able to accomplish in less than a year. 

  
  


Now she was stuck. She had walked right into the bowels of hell. With a smile on her face and a song in her heart. She'd been sooo in love. Bullshit. She'd been so freakin blind. Making stupid decisions, ones that could cost her big time. In the death kind of way. 

  
  


Keeping her ear to the door, Reggie listened for any sign of movement in the house. A duffle bag was carelessly packed at her feet. If asked she couldn't really say what she'd shoved in. For all she knew she could have grabbed ten pair of tube socks and a few formal gowns. In the end it really didn't matter. Reggie's only goal was to get out of the house. Down the hill and flag down the first random car. 

  
  


If the phones weren't tapped she would've called her father two nights ago. Even if it meant she had to admit he was right and like he loved to remind her, she was once again wrong. Nik was a demented asshole. Not the Prince Charming she had so adamantly defended. But she couldn't. Not with Nik's men watching her every move. Analyzing each of her words. 

  
  


The familiar sound of boots echoed through the hall. Like clockwork, every Friday morning, Nik would gather his men and go off to God knows where. Reggie could care less if they went to Timbuktu. Just as long as they stayed out of the house for the next two hours. 

  
  


The front door slammed and it was soon followed by the sound of car doors. Twenty minutes to freedom. Pacing the master bedroom. Wiping the sweat from her palms onto her jeans, Reggie sucked in deep breaths until the butterflies in her stomach stopped their wild fluttering. 

  
  


Checking the clock sitting next to the bed, ten minutes. Grabbing her jacket and matching leather gloves. She struggled with her clothing as she drudged up every lesson her father and his pals had taught her. Rolling her neck from side to side, working out the crinks. 

  
  


What had her father always repeated? Quick, clean, no risks. She never really agreed with him on the last part. It was the risk takers who were always a step ahead of those who always followed the rules religiously. Were capable of thinking on their own, able to make split second decisions without needing someone to hold their hand.

  
  


But this time she was going to stick to her fathers words. Improvise only if need be. There was no room for error. Or instead of getting a call for assistance, her father would get a nice little visit from the State Police to notify him his only daughter would be coming home in a box. 

  
  


Dropping to her knees by the bed, she reached blindly for the rope she'd stashed there just days ago. A small tug of guilt pulled at her gut. What could she do? Getting out by herself was going to be a miracle. Smuggling a three year old would take an act of God. The only thing that made her feel okay about this was knowing her father would come in and help get Sophie out of this mess. Which meant she needed to keep her head.

  
  


Sliding up to the window, Reggie looked down on the lawn below. Marcus walked past, automatic in hand, as his eyes skimmed the hill that kept the place safe. Two minutes and he'd stroll around the side of the house. It was the same day after day. You'd like Nik would change the routine. But when a guy believed he was God, why change?

  
  


Rolling her eyes, she watched as the guard below strutted to corner, with one final look over his shoulder. It was now or never. Opening the window, she grinned slightly as the alarms remained silent. High tech her ass. A blow-dyer and a pair of tweezers was all it took. Child's play. 

  
  


Tying the rope to the post of the ridiculously expensive bedpost. Nik had boasted that it had come from Francis. Had once belonged to some important person. Reggie stuck her tongue out at one of the over polished cherubs staring down at her. The piece of furniture always made her feel uneasy. As though some how the tiny little angels looking down at her were running back to God. Telling him of all the bad things she knew. 

  
  


Clicking the other end to the harness around her, Reggie peered out the window. "Well it's now or never."

  
  
  


~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~~~*~~~~

  
  


"Gibbons I don't know where I went wrong." Staring down at the coffee in front of him, General Morgan wiped a hand over his tired face. "Do you know what it's like, knowing one of your children is in danger. Hearing their voice over the phone. Scared and unsure. Only to have the line go dead before you can find out where they are."

  
  


"Thomas we're gonna find her. The men are busting at the seems. Ready for some action. Reggie was like a sister to most of them." Glancing over at the phone, Gibbons leaned back in his chair and took a long look at his old friend. They'd been through a lot together. Hell they'd faced death on more than on one occasion. 

  
  


It was him that had been with Thomas and Reggie on her first jump. Standing right behind her on the plane. Keeping a close eye on her color. Making sure she was up to the challenge. Wasn't he the one that was her champion when she'd begged her father to learn to repel with the rest of the men when she was only fifteen. Did he know what it's like to have a child in danger? Maybe not one of his own flesh, but yeah he knew what it felt like. 

  
  


"Tell me again what she said." Gibbons no nonsense attitude was like a balm on Thomas's nerves.

  
  


"She finally saw Mazzetelli for the asshole he is. The prick actually took her on a job. She sat in a car as he shot and killed three teens he had running drugs for him. He then had the audacity to threaten her. I swear when I get my hands on him he will be begging for me to kill him." His face beet-red, he took a deep drink of his luke warm coffee. "Reggie waited until she knew Mazzetelli was gonna be gone a few hours. Repelled out the window, slid half way down a mountain and got a ride from some family traveling from Wisconsin. She didn't have a chance to tell me a pick up spot before the line went dead."

  
  


"So she called you as soon as she had a chance?"

  
  


"I think so."

  
  


"So she was still in Colorado?" Gibbons pushed. 

  
  


"The last I knew. Gibbons, you know me. I'm not the most sensitive man in the world. But I love her. She's the most important thing to me." For the first time in his life, Gibbons watched in sadness as tears formed in his oldest pals face. 

  
  


"You and I both know that Mazetelli doesn't mean shit to the agency. He's small time." Scratching the side of his head, he looked down for a moment. "The agency won't allow me to send in a team for this. A few of the men though are willing to take an extra vacation."

  
  


"Gibbons if we rush Mazzetelli and he has her. She's as good as dead. I know the men want to help her..." Shaking his head, Thomas collected himself. "I know the boys. They're a good lot. But we can't have a group of hotheaded soldiers going in like demons."

  
  


"I agree." Sighing, Gibbons let out a soft chuckle. "I knew you'd be smart. I have a man in mind."

  
  


"Who?"

  
  


"X."

  
  


"Are you kidding? That psychopath you sent to Prague last year?" Thomas looked in between the need to laugh and the need to cry. 

  
  


"That psychopath happens to be one of my best." Gibbons defended. "Thomas, you know how I feel about Reggie. I love her like one of my own. I wouldn't suggest Xander if I didn't believe he could get her."

  
  


Not sure if he was doing the right thing, Thomas buried his head in his hands and gave a halfhearted nod. "Do it."

  
  


~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~**~~~*~~~~*~~~*~~~**~~~*~~~~*~~~*~~~**~~~*~~~*~~~

  
  


Looking up at the seatbelt sign, Xander let out an exasperated sigh and looked out the window. The Rockies loomed down below, making his insides itch to do a half a million stupid things. The mountains held so much promise. Snowboarding, hang-gliding, white water rafting. And he was stuck on some small time mission to save some Army brat from her own stupid mistakes. 

  
  


It wouldn't be so bad if Yelena hadn't left him four months ago. Saying that she wanted a normal life that didn't involve constant calls in the middle of the night from Gibbons. That she needed to settle down and forget about the past. 

  
  


He couldn't give her that. Gibbons had awoken some freaky sense of purpose in him. Not that anyone would find him spouting praise to the fucked up way the American system worked. But the jobs he'd been given so far filled a hole inside him he hadn't even known was empty. 

  
  


Pulling out the folder Gibbons had sent along with him, Xander scanned over the pages again. Okay so the girl had a police record. Maybe she wasn't the little princess he'd assumed she was. But a few speeding tickets and disorderly conduct didn't make her any less of a pain. Flipping to the back of the file she stopped at the only picture he'd been given. An impish redhead smiled back at him. Her eyes full of laughter and a smile that promised trouble, Xander snorted and shook his head. He didn't care if she'd been questioned for a murder charge. The girl was as all American as you cold get. Which meant they should get along as well as oil and water. 

  
  


Shutting the file, he shoved it back into carry on bag and leaned his head back. Trying not to think that looking for her was going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

  
  
  
  



	2. Two

Looking at the woman standing in front of him, Xander knew without a doubt she was lying to him. His second day in town, he had gone through the short list of leads Gibbons had supplied him with. Mostly ex-roommates of one very hard to find Reggie Morgan. None of them had anything good to go by. Most hadn't seen her in almost a year. Pretty much the time she'd graduated from CU and had met Mazzetelli. 

  
  


But the stubborn cow glowering back at him had definitely seen Reggie. Just at the mention of Reggie's name had made the woman's mouth snap shut and her eyes narrow in suspicion. 

  
  


"Lets play a little game shall we?" Leaning his hulking frame against the doorframe, flexing his muscles a few times. Hopping to intimidate the shrew with his large stature. If he did, she hid her discomfort well. 

  
  


"Listen, I don't have time for games. I have a deadline to meet. A family dinner I'm being forced to attend and to really tell you the truth I'd rather lick the mold off my bathroom walls than talk to some over inked freak that Nik sent. So why don't you go back to your Master kiss his ass and tell him Reggie wasn't here. Hasn't been here, won't be here because she's way to smart to show up here again." With one last twitch of her nose, the woman tried to slam the door in his face. 

  
  


Quick reflexes had his foot stopping the door. "Listen Miss..."

  
  


"Granger. It's written on that little piece of paper wadded up in your hand. I know Nik isn't real keen on having employees that are smarter than him, but really. Most second graders can sound out most words." Lifting an irritating brow at him. A little smirk appeared on her face. "It's not that hard. Grrrr - aaa - nnnn - ggg - eerr."

  
  


If he wasn't so tired he might have laughed. Even though Miss Grrraaannngggeerr was a little on the heavy side she had more personality in her little finger than most people had combined in a zip code. "I don't work for Mazzettelli. Her Father sent me. He's worried -." His words faltered as the female's face darkened. 

  
  


"Her Father sent you?" Even though her eyes were still stormy, she sounded highly amused. "Right. Okay listen. As much fun as it has been talking to you, watching you flex those ape arms of yours and all. I gotta get back to my report. So say hey to the General for me." Pushing him solidly in the chest, she managed to catch him off guard long enough to swiftly shut the door and turn the deadbolt from inside.

  


"If you see her," Yelling loud enough so several neighbors stick their heads out into the hallway, Xander glared at them until they all retreated. "Tell her a friend is looking for her."

  
  


"Whatever." A muffled voice answered. Turning to walk away, Xander cast one last look toward the door before getting into the elevator and pushing the 'lobby' button. 

  
  


~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

  
  


"Is he gone?" Peeking from the hallway to where her best friend Leslie Granger was standing, Reggie quieted when she put a finger to her mouth. 

  
  


After a few tense minutes, Leslie tiptoed up to the thick oak door and looked through the peep hole. "I think it's safe."

  
  


Snorting, Reggie slouched against the wall and took a few deep breaths. "I'm not safe until I get back to my Father."

  


It was Leslie's turn to snort. A habit they had both shared from their college days. "Oh yes. The kind, gentle loving man he is." 

  
  


"I know he's a little rough around the edges..." Skimming her hands through her curly auburn hair, Reggie let out a long breath. "That guy at the door?"

  
  


"Mr Tattoos? Didn't look like any of the other guys Nik has sent over here to get you when you two were fighting." Leslie cast a worried glance toward the door. "Even though he looked dangerous and could definitely be mistaken for one of Nik's thugs, I don't get the impression he's one of them."

  
  


"Why do say that?" Reggie asked. "Do you think my Father sent him?"

  
  


"I've seen the men who work for your father." Leslie's eyes took on a dreamy look. "Remember our Sophomore year when we thought we'd 'sneak' off for Spring vacation?"

  
  


"How can I forget?" Groaning as if in pain, Reggie remembered her one attempt at being a normal college kid. Packing a bag at the last second and jumping onto a plane heading for Los Vegas. Their little holiday lasted less then two days before her father and four of his men decided to drop in. He'd said at the time he'd been worried. To her it was more like him trying to run her life. Again.

  
  


"No his men are clean cut, polite, don't look like they could be members of the Hells Angels."

  
  


"Then he's not one of my Father's men. He only picks the very best from MIT and West Point." Chewing on her lower lip, Reggie's face looked thoughtful. "Maybe we should pushup the plan. Whoever that guy was, he might be back. I can't be here if he does."

  
  


"I need to go to work tonight so I can grab the last of the stuff. I guess I could come home early if I say I'm feeling sick." A slow nervous smile spread across Leslie's face. 

  
  


Reggie knew what her friend was risking. What could happen if their little scheme backfired. Guilt swirled inside her stomach. She couldn't ask her best friend to do this. It was going above and beyond the bounds of friendship. Once again she was pulling in an innocent person into something that was nothing but trouble. "Leslie thank you for doing this. But if you want to back out now, I wont blame you." 

  
  


"If it weren't for you I never would've made it through my freshman year. And don't try to pull the Martyr Reggie act with me. I want to do this. So why don't I go get ready." Leslie's eyes roamed over her friend's appearance. Reggie looked thinner than usual. Dark circles rimmed her emerald green eyes that lacked their usual sparkle. "Maybe you should think about taking a long hot bath, eat something and grab some sleep." 

  
  


"Are you trying to say that I look dirty, starving and like a zombie?"

  
  


"No." Leslie drawled as she walked down the hallway. "I was saying that you look like crap."

  
  


~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

  
  


Shoving the rest of the shredded beef burrito into his mouth, Xander stared at the laptop in front of him and drew a blank. Some babysitting mission. He'd have to have someone to watch and right now he was drawing blanks. If it were some end of the world mission he would've had the case halfway done by now. 

  
  


"Great. Just freaking great." Muttering darkly under his breath. Going over the conversations over the last few days, he kept coming back to one annoying little Leslie Grrrraaannnnggerrrr. She was lying. That much was obvious. But unless Gibbons would turn a blind-eye to a little torture, Xander had no idea how he was going to prove he was right unless he were to lower himself to surveillance. 

  
  


The sound of his communicator interrupted his fowl thoughts. Flipping open the tiny black box, Xander scowled at Gibbon's concerned expression. "What?"

  
  


"What have you found?" Usually Gibbon's no nonsense attitude didn't phase him. But two days in, the girl no where in sight, Xander was at the end of his rope.

  
  


"Oh a little of this a little of that..." His deep raspy voice held little humor. 

  
  


"Nothing huh?" 

  
  
  


"You narrowed down her location to a state Gibbons. A state you're not entirely sure she's still in." Standing up from the wobbly hotel table, Xander stalked over to the large picture window that had a perfect view of the mountains. "No one know's where she last called from. There's been no other contact with her. Gee I can't see why I don't have her safely handcuffed to my side."

  
  


"Did you check out the list of her old roommates?" Gibbon's asked, ignoring the little temper tantrum.

  
  


"Yeah, all dead ends. Except."

  
  


"Except what?" 

  
  


"Leslie Grr..." Clearing his throat, Xander turned back to the communicator, clearing his throat. "Ah, Leslie Granger. She's hiding something."

  
  


"What?"

  
  


"Well if I knew she wouldn't be hiding anything now would she?"

  
  


"X." Gibbon's threatened.

  
  


"I don't know for sure. Just a feeling." Chuckling under his breath, Xander felt some of the tension lifting from his shoulders. 

  
  


"Did you get inside her apartment?"

  
  


"No. Bossy Bessie said she had a report to get done for work. Didn't appreciate the interruption." 

  
  


"Did you say report?" Gibbon's voice was filled with exasperation.

  
  


"Did I stutter?" 

  
  


"Xander are you losing your edge? Do I need to put you out to pasture? Miss Granger is a registered nurse. In pediatrics. She's gone through her intern rotation, has been out of school for over a year. Any reports she needs to get done are finished at work." 

  
  


"Shit."

  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
